Ah, Sweet Victory!
by charli911
Summary: Why are all these people giving Tony money? A one-shot...had to delete it to fix something. This is a re-post...And for those of you who like to nit-pick, yes I am aware that Ziva was already gone when this event happened, but the ending wouldn't have been as funny with Ellie.


_**AH, SWEET VICTORY! **_

I don't own NCIS or any of the characters. I do this strictly for entertainment purpose. Thanks CBS and Don Bellisario for creating this wonderful show. Thanks to the actors, producers and directors who do such a fine job in making these characters so real.

_**Thanks Karen 19- she informed me of a major mistake in my story. OSU beat the University of Oregon Ducks, NOT Oregon State, who are known as the Beavers... So sorry and fixed now... Can you tell I do not follow football, Pro or College!... **_

/

It had been an almost normal morning in the bullpen. With no new cases, Team Gibbs was concentrating on catching up on paperwork and other mundane tasks. Tony DiNozzo was filling out requisition forms. Ziva David was rewriting a report from their last case that her boss had not been happy with. McGee was defragging his computer. And Leroy Jethro Gibbs was frustrated while doing evaluations on his team.

So, it was almost normal….almost.

Every once in a while, someone would walk through the MCRT's area…an agent; the janitor; two people from payroll…and silently drop money on Tony's desk. He would grin, pick up the bill, then remove his wallet and slide the bill inside, then put the wallet back in his pocket. Neither Tony nor the people leaving the cash would exchange a word.

This kept occurring all morning. Once or twice an agent wouldn't drop money, but would swing through anyway, Tony would reach up a hand without really looking and the other person would slap his outstretched palm with a high-five.

Tim and Ziva exchange a puzzled look every time it happened as no explanation was forthcoming, which annoyed Ziva no end. She glanced at Gibbs after about twenty people had performed this odd ritual and was surprised to see a small grin on his face.

Just before 11:00 am, Gibbs stood up and told everyone to go to lunch, making this strange day even stranger when he told them to be back by 12:30, which was thirty minutes longer than usual. Ziva's plan to corner DiNozzo about what was going on was thwarted with Gibbs' "DiNozzo, with me!" as he headed toward the elevator.

With a smirk, Tony trotted off to catch up with his boss. As they entered the elevator, she could have sworn she heard Gibbs say "Lunch is on you today," just as another agent, exiting the elevator, handed Tony more money. DiNozzo's only reply was a "Yes, Boss!"

/

Tim and Ziva were no closer to an explanation when they returned from lunch. DiNozzo and Gibbs were already at their desks, and as the two junior agents approached, a member of the security detail walked up to Tony's desk. DiNozzo stood up and came out from behind his desk. The two men exchanged an elaborate and lengthy handshake, with waving fingers and knocking knuckles as part of the display.

McGee and Ziva were both shocked to hear Gibbs snort in amusement.

"What is going on?!" Ziva finally asking, frustrated, as yet another person, this time Marty Cole, the supervisor of the Evidence unit, approached DiNozzo's desk, a frown on his face. She received no reply to her question as Cole shook his head and reached into his pocket, pulling out his wallet. He snatched a bill and handed it to Tony, who put it up to his nose and took a deep breath.

"Ah, the smell of victory!"

"Next year, DiNozzo, next year!" Cole said as he spun on his heels and headed back the way he'd come.

"Quack, quack, Marty. Quack, Quack."

Before Ziva could ask her question again, Gibbs' phone rang. After a short conversation, he called out, "Grab your gear. We got a dead Marine!"

/

It was late when they got back to the office. Everything about the case was indicating that the dead Marine had died a natural death, but until the autopsy was complete there was little more they could do. So they each typed up their preliminary reports, Ziva frequently casting a glance DiNozzo's way. He and Gibbs had left her and McGee to process the scene, while the senior agents interviewed witnesses, so once again Ziva was not able to force Tony to let her in on the secret.

Gibbs was just getting ready to tell everyone to go home for the day when NCIS Director, Leon Vance, slowly walked down the stairs from his office. Gibbs broke into a huge grin, which slightly unsettled Tim and Ziva, especially when Vance approached Tony's desk. DiNozzo looked up, a smirk breaking out on his face.

"Agent DiNozzo."

"Director," Tony replied.

"You do realize that gambling isn't allowed…"

"Should I arrest you, Sir?" Tony asked, his grin getting bigger, as he held out his hand.

Vance blew out a sharp breath and pulled out a money clip. Sliding a bill from the silver clip, he started to lay it on DiNozzo's open palm, then pulled it back.

"Now, Director, you wouldn't want people to think you were a bad loser, now would you?"

Shaking his head, more in exasperation than in reply to his agent's question, he dropped the bill in DiNozzo's hand. Tony lifted it up, looking at it closely. It was only then that Tim and Ziva realized that their Director had just handed his agent a one-hundred dollar bill!

"It's real, DiNozzo!" Vance snarled.

"Just checking, Sir."

Vance shoved a toothpick between his teeth and started to walk away. He froze when someone cleared their throat. Turning slowly, his shoulders slumped as he noticed Gibbs with his hand out, wiggling his fingers as if to say, 'hand it over'.

"I never should have let you talk me into this," he muttered, handing over another hundred-dollar bill to Gibbs.

"I tried to warn you, Leon," Gibbs replied, dragging out the other man's name, as he often did when trying to get a point across.

"Yeah, yeah," Vance said, waving his hand in dismissal.

"Never bet against DiNozzo, not when his Buckeyes are involved."

"Damn it! The University of Oregon Ducks were favored to win!" he insisted. "Ohio State had a third-string quarterback!"

"First string…third string…doesn't matter," DiNozzo insisted, as he held the large bill up in both hands, and kissed it before sliding it into his pocket. "But, I'll tell you what, I'll be a good sport. Dinner is on me, tonight. Care to join us, Director?"

"Football?! This was all about a football game?" McGee asked, incredulous.

"No, McNon-Sports fan. Not just a football game. The first ever College Football Playoff National Championship!" DiNozzo declared. "And the Ohio State Buckeyes are the winner! OSU! The College Football Champion!" He raised his hands in a triumphant gesture, fists clenched.

"He is enthusiastic, isn't he," Vance asked Gibbs.

"Oh, yeah." Gibbs slapped Vance on the shoulder. "So, gonna join us for steaks?"

"With DiNozzo buying? You bet I am. At least that way I can recouped some of my money. I just need to call the nanny, tell her I'll be a bit late," he said, pulling his phone from his pocket.

Having overheard, Tony's grin got impossibly brighter. "Abby, Ducky and Jimmy are meeting us there. So, what say you McGee? Ziva? Join us?"

"I'm in," McGee said, shutting down his computer and gathering his backpack.

"Ziva?"

"Well, if you are buying dinner for everyone, I guess I will join everyone. But I need you to answer a question for me."

"Anything, my little ninja," DiNozzo replied, following Tim's example.

As they all walked toward the elevator, they heard the uncertainty in her voice as she asked. "Who is Buck and what is so important about his eye?"

Laughter echoed around the nearly empty room as the doors slid closed behind the group.

/

Congratulations to the Ohio State Buckeyes in winning and showing all those people who said they didn't deserve to be in the Championship! GO BUCKEYES!


End file.
